Sasanokawa Shuzo
The Sasanokawa Shuzo distillery and liquor company was founded way back in 1765 on Koriyama, the largest and most populous of the four islands that make up the Japanese archipelago. For almost two centuries, the distillery was involved only in the production of sake, the Japanese national drink traditionally consumed hot and obtained from fermented rice, and in the production of shochu, much less known, but which is becoming increasingly popular in the West: it is of a distillate that can be made from rice, soba, sweet potatoes and even carrots. But the product that made the Sasanokawa Shuzo distillery famous also on the overseas market is whisky. Although the production of whiskey in Japan began rather late, in the second half of the nineteenth century, thanks to increasingly frequent exchanges with European merchants, it was after the end of the Second World War that the typical drink of Scotland became popular in Sol Levant. The Sasanokawa Shuzo distillery is very famous for its Yamazakura Blended Whisky, which began production in 1946 and aged for 16 years in oak barrels. In recent years, Japanese distillates have been receiving more and more appreciation, both of course for the taste, but also for the production method, which is absolutely respectful of the local tradition. This distillery is an excellent starting point to satisfy one's curiosity about these truly qualitative and exciting products.